AUSTIN (KXAN) – North Austin resident Wesley Aycock said someone will abandon a new vehicle on his street every month.
“We have abandoned cars that are dumped here, clearly inoperable,” he said. “We see cars here for extended periods of time, months, even years.”
Aycock and his neighbors consistently report the cars via 311, but it can be a while before something is done.
“I think the city has taken steps recently to help the situation. I’m not sure it’s enough, and we would like it to improve,” Aycock said.
“There are a lot of cars to be taken care of, and I’m sure that’s a burden on the city. Unfortunately, in this area, it’s a necessary burden,” he continued.
On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved laying the groundwork to expand the city’s ability to reduce the number of abandoned vehicles. District 4 Council Member Chito Vela said there are currently only two Austin Police officers who work in vehicle abatement.
“I’ve realized how critical of an issue it is,” Vela said. “[They’re] really doing the best they could, but overwhelmed by the amount of calls that they get.”
City council voted Thursday to amend the city code relevant to vehicle abatement. City staff said before the vote, only APD officers were able to execute this type of work.
“This is the first step in that process, to be able to have that ability to have non-sworn staff, regardless of department, to be able to work on these issues,” said Lewis Leff, the assistant director of transportation operations.
According to 311 data, there have been 6,750 calls related to abandoned vehicles from January to September. The majority of those calls are in District 1 and District 4, where Aycock lives.
“We love our creeks, we love our huge trees in this neighborhood. We have beautiful creeks and beautiful properties here,” he said. “I think [the city] is doing better, but I think we could still do better.” “I’ve realized how critical of an issue it is
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